Europe’s soccer governing body has decided to retain its threat to boycott the FIFA competitions despite the global body apologising for its failed plans to sell stakes in the World Cup.
On Thursday, UEFA reiterated that it had lost confidence in the FIFA president Gianni Infantino and set conditions to withdraw its boycott threat had not been met.UEFA’s associations were very clear about the conditions attached to the non participation in FIFA competitions,” it said in a statement.
“First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly, assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again”, it said.
On Wednesday, FIFA apologized for its plans to sell off stakes of the World Cup, acknowledging that “mistakes were made.” Following a meeting in Rabat, Morocco, of senior FIFA leadership, the governing body said it had “reaffirmed their full support” for Infantino’s presidency.
Earlier on Saturday, in a statement, UEFA made it abundantly clear that it had lost confidence in Gianni Infantino’s presidency.
In the recent days, FIFA and Infantino have been trying to present a united front following a high-level summit in Morocco on Wednesday, when it announced the president had the full support of those in attendance. The world governing body also apologized to the FIFA confederation member association for the errors and committed to ensure that did not happen again. However, UEFA remained dissatisfied and issued a defiant message.
“Yesterday’s announcement that some people employed by the FIFA president (and whose careers depend on his favor) agree with him changes nothing,” it said.